


Hips Don't Lie (But Tongues Do)

by smilingsarah10



Series: Right Hand Frat [7]
Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Angst, Bid day, F/M, Hazing, M/M, Multi, The Plot Thickens, please read the notes on each chapter for specific warnings, the author is only a little sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 14:35:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7109425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smilingsarah10/pseuds/smilingsarah10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boys finally join the house of their dreams, but for James and John is it a dream or a nightmare?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hips Don't Lie (But Tongues Do)

**Author's Note:**

> Ok y'all just some background before we get started:  
> 1) Although each entry in this series can be read as a oneshot, you might enjoy it more if you start at the beginning and work your way here. But you are a strong, independent reader and I respect your life choices if you choose to just read this one.  
> 2) As always, if I missed a pronoun please let me know and I will change it.   
> 3) I am a member of a sorority so I have a basis of knowledge about Greek life. This being said, hazing is never ok. I even feel a little bad using it as a plot point. I don't condone it, it doesn't happen as much as the media would have you believe, and it is never ok. That being said, there is alot of it in this chapter or mentions of it. I will tell you that the hazers get what's coming to them if you bear with me long enough, but I understand if you end up jumping ship to avoid reading about it or being triggered by it.   
> 4) I'm pansexual. In this fic, there are a couple of jokes about bisexuals being thirds in someone else's relationship. Just a life tip: do not assume anyone's sexuality and especially do not propose threesomes just because someone likes more than one gender.  
> 5) There is a blatant misgendering at the end because a character is an asshole. If that will trigger you, please be cautious and do what's best for your health.
> 
> OK enough with the notes. Please enjoy!

James hadn’t seen Thomas so genuinely excited to be a part of a new group since the day they had moved in as the boys went one by one to sign their bid cards in the office of student life. Once all the boys had signed, they would run out to their waiting brothers, and then their new homes. However, with close to 60 young men in attendance, that was going to be quite a bit of time. James was content to sit back and watch his boyfriend and roommates go into the office and come out with a pair of letters to wear to identify which house they had chosen. When it was his turn, he walked into the office where the Dean of Students was waiting with his acceptance letter and a pen. “James, right? You’re a legacy?”

James paused in the middle of his signature curious as to why the dean would know that. “Yes sir. My father was in a different chapter of this fraternity.” 

The dean nodded solemnly. “Well, like I told the Laurens boy, they take the whole legacy thing pretty seriously. Just be safe.” 

James gave a quizzical nod before finishing signing his name and being handed a pair of letters that had the word “Legacy” embroidered under them. Cringing a bit, he threw the shirt on overtop of his current tee and headed back out to his waiting friends. The weird tone the dean had used made him inherently nervous, but seeing John in matching legacy letters and Alex and Thomas in matching general letters made his heart swell and remind him of home. The excitement in the air was contagious, and he couldn’t wait to see how the night unfolded. 

Eventually, all of the young men present were in their respective shirts. They could hear the roar of what James presumed was all of the fraternity men on campus. Some notable phrases that rose above the rest were “let them out,” “release the beasts,” and “time for the booze cruise.” 

As they were standing and getting to know their new pledge class, Thomas slipped his hand in James’ and gave a squeeze. James met his boyfriend’s eyes and noticed concern there. “You doing ok, Jemmy? You’ve looked a little off since signing.” 

James placed a quick chaste kiss on Thomas’ forehead before responding. “I’m fine Tommy. I’m…” James paused to search for a descriptor that would calm him, “nervously excited, I suppose.” 

Thomas gave him a once over before apparently deciding that his answer was sufficient. With one last squeeze, he let go and launched into a discussion with Alex and another boy about what might happen to them that night at the fraternity house. Finally, the last boy filed out of the bid room, and talking in the room came to an abrupt halt. The dean emerged last. He seemed surprised to see them all standing there with their deer in the headlights looks. “Well, if you’re gonna go out there now would be preferable.” 

At first, no one in the room moved. Then in an act that was out of character for a sober John Laurens, he let out a series of whoops and waved for his new brothers to follow him. Together, their group was laughing and screaming and leading the fray out the double doors of the student life office. James followed John so that he could help steer him in the direction of their house. The reveal was chaos: fraternity men grabbing and pulling their newest members into their hoards and pushing other houses pledges into the arms of their new, albeit slightly intoxicated, brothers. 

James steered John into the screaming mass that was the house they had joined. Washington was the first to find him and clap a strong hand on his shoulder to show his excitement about joining. Next was Laf who was smiling wildly and kissed him on both cheeks and babbling in French too fast for anyone to pick up. There were too many introductions in a short span of time for James to really pick up on anyone’s actual name and before he knew it, Herc was behind him, pushing him to run with the group all the way to Greek Hill. James was in fairly decent shape so even with the slight burn in his lungs, the adrenaline and excitement let him keep up with the practically sprinting group. Slowly, houses started to break off from the group to run into their residence and get on the roof, the deck, or the windows. By the time the boys made it into the door, there was chanting and shouting all over the hill. The boys were ushered to a balcony and taught their particular chant and how to ‘properly’ bang on the walls, the roof, or the railing depending on where you were standing. 

The next hour was a whirlwind. James felt a little lost as he was separated from his friends in order to do a speed round get-to-know-you activity. Once the ice was broken, beer after beer was offered to him by his new brothers. When they were all sufficiently tipsy, the group met in what the pledges were informed was the chapter room. There the group learned how to sing the sorority serenade songs. This was apparently a chapter tradition: go door to door and sing a song to each sorority. Once the cute songs had been song, a vulgar chant would finish their involvement. Then, as they would leave, the sororities might sing a response song back. There were also certain challenges they would face at each of the women’s houses. Two pledges would step forward at each house to participate in the bonding activities. Apparently, these ranged from sweet to vulgar. James and Thomas volunteered for the sweet ones that way nothing too out of their comfort zone would happen, but Alex and John were not nearly so lucky and ended up with the ambiguous ‘vulgar’ activity at the end of the night at their sister house. 

After many more rounds of beer and mingling among the guys, George Frederick announced that the boys should, “strap on their big boy pants because it was time for the whore tour.” James cringed at the language but was aware that it would probably only get worse as the night wore on. The first house they arrived at was mild. Two of the girls were volunteered to come up and kiss James and Thomas separately. James gave the girl a chaste, sweet kiss before turning around to see Thomas get caught up making out with the girl. Sensing his boyfriend’s panic, James accidentally kicked into drunken protector mode. Tapping the girl kindly on the shoulder, she broke the kiss and he drawled, “Mind if I cut in?” before pulling Thomas into a passionate kiss. There was a collective gasp from the crowd of greeks before the sorority started whooping and the fraternity mostly catcalled and joined in on the fun. James broke the kiss, and Thomas looked at him gleefully before taking his hand and walking back to their group to move on to the next house. 

\----------

John had meant to ask James if the dean had said anything weird to him about being a legacy, but he had underestimated the building excitement that was coming and had completely forgotten in the process. Then, the brothers were amused so amused by John’s drunken antics at the first party that they had determined they were going to work towards getting him there again. Laf had frowned a bit, but when John assured them he wouldn’t go as hard this time, they joined in with what the brothers immediately around him were calling “the Laurens marathon.” By the time they were volunteering for the pledge activities, he was well on his way past tipsy and didn’t look nearly as nervous as Alex about being placed at the vulgar location. Then again, he knew that Laf would have stopped him if it was something that was dangerous so he was feeling pretty calm. 

Every house, the boys stopped and sang their songs while shoving the pledges to the front. John was surprisingly one of the loudest, which amused Laf to no end. Laf continued to put their arms over his shoulders or their hand on the small of John’s back, and if John had felt like home before in his dorm, this was a whole new level of ‘home’ for him. Instead of a dorm room, this home was an imperfect person who John found perfect for him. John wouldn’t remember in the morning the amount of times he had kissed Laf that night: on the nose, sloppily to the cheek, sneakily with teeth to the back of the neck, then full on the lips multiple times, but Laf would cherish this night for a long time. 

Finally, after what felt like ages to John, the group had made their way to the very last house: their sister house and the home of John and Alex’s vulgar challenge. The song that they were singing was Ignition (Remix) by R. Kelly which was one of John’s favorite songs whether he was drunk or sober. Alex still looked nervous, but after some playful cajoling from John, he at least got a glimmer back to his eyes. They filed into the immaculate sorority house where all the girls and their new members were sitting around eating food and drinking. There was a flurry of hugs which was abnormal for how the rest of the night had gone: they had been filing in, singing, doing the pledge activity, then leaving without any mingling up to this point. At Eta Theta, the girls rushed to find the boys some food, some drinks, and some seats. They all sat down and mingled. John was excited to see the Schuyler sisters and Martha who had immediately descended on Laf and pointing suspiciously close to his bite mark from earlier before waving at John. 

Once everyone had a bite to eat and a drink in their hand and the boys and girls were mingled together as if they were one house, a girl that John had never seen before stepped forward and drew everyone’s attention. “Alright folks let’s get this show on the road. Martha, Eliza, and our two new Psi Sig pledges come to the center of the room please!” 

John sauntered into the middle of the room with no trepidation. It took quite a bit for anyone other than Laf to embarrass him, and with the fire of alcohol coursing through his veins, he was ready to meet this challenge head-on with a smile. Alex on the other hand got pushed into the center circle, still too nervous to approach Eliza even though just earlier he had been babbling to his roommates about how excited he was for tonight to ‘get to see his wife in person.’ They met the girls in the middle and the mysterious center girl had them draw cards that looked centuries old. John and Eliza’s cards had standing figures on them, Alex and Martha’s cards had chairs. John had no idea what that could possibly mean, even as a chair was dragged to the middle of the room. John and Martha were sent back to the side of the room while Alex was told to sit in the chair and Eliza stood to the side looking nervous. John hovered near Laf and Martha perched on George’s lap. The girl got everyone’s attention again. “Ladies and Gentlemen, you could have been anywhere on the hill tonight, but here you are in Eta Theta. Are you ready for the annual striptease?”

John saw Alex visibly get paler as the words left the girl’s mouth. Everyone else in the room let out some kind of cheer. When the noise settled, the girl continued to speak, “The fates have been sealed, and the first dance of the night goes to the girls represented by Eliza Schuyler. Remember, you only have to strip to your underwear, but you have to finish out the song. Good luck, Hamilton. Ladies on three! One… Two… THREE!” 

On three, the girls started singing Partition by Beyoncé while the track itself played through the houses speakers. Eliza started off shy, dancing and twirling throughout the room until the bass dropped and she pulled off her dress in time to the changing beat. John had never seen Alex look more like he was about to sink into the floor than that moment. Eliza was moving almost predatorily towards Alex, and John felt like he blinked and she was on him, dancing along to the music while Alex tried to figure out what to do with his hands and where he should be looking around the room. 

“Mon petit. Are you ready to show them your moves?” Laf whispered seductively from behind John. John nodded, grinning, but didn’t have anything to say on the matter. “You are very good with your ‘ips. I know Martha is excited. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of George.”

John hadn’t even considered George and Martha’s relationship, but the thought of stripping and dancing on his girlfriend now seemed like a really bad idea. John, being one who never backed down from challenges, opted to ignore this feeling of dread as the song ended and Eliza bowed before helping Alex up from where she was straddling him in the chair. Alex immediately grabbed her dress to help her put it back on before tucking tail and practically sprinting back behind James and Herc. 

Martha strutted up to the chair and sat down. She carried herself with an air of knowing superiority, a smugness that only came when someone knew they had the upper hand. Laf gently prodded John until he was out in the circle. John looked around. He hated feeling exposed. He hated the spotlight. These were all things that his friends knew. However, his friends did not know that John had been in dance for as long as he could remember. It was the one thing that his father had let him continue outside of school because he was under the assumption that being surrounded by women would help John find one for him. Did he ever come to recitals? No. It was for the best though because it gave John an outlet then and a perfect chance to show off his skills now. 

The announcer had made her way back to the middle of the room. “This round will be performed by new member John Laurens to our lovely Martha. Prepare yourself Martha, this one’s a stunner.” Martha pulled down the other girl and whispered something in her ear, causing the girl to laugh before continuing, “This dance is apparently dedicated to house sweetheart, George Washington, and sister at heart, Laf. On the count of three, men!” 

John listened to the countdown and switched into performance mode, effectively blocking out everything but the quickly forming choreography in his mind and the music playing through the hidden speakers in the room. He started off slow, bouncing in time with the first few beats of music before switching to a more intricate bounce-step-and hand mime when the first verse started. John was engaging his “audience” easily: dancing with whoever he could pull to their feet and rolling his body every time the verses called for it while still actively seducing Martha from afar. Everyone in the crowd lost it when John went into a handstand and still managed to do a body roll. The second time the hook came around, he had pulled off his shirt and tossed it to the crowd of sorority women. By “the hotel lobby” John shucked off his shorts, tossing them with a wink to Laf. Clothed in only his briefs, he finally approached the chair and started rolling his hips close enough that Martha could have touched him and was mouthing the words to seem like he was serenading her. She gave him space though, giggling all the while and making faces at presumably George over John’s shoulder, and waited to touch him until he was on her lap dancing. While miming sex, she whispered to him, “It’s a shame you’re not bi. You put on quite the show, and George and I _have_ considered playing around with a third.” She punctuated hew sentence with a quick pull to his hair which exposed his blush to the rest of the room, and John looked everywhere but at his new brother George Washington for fear of losing his composure so close to the end. 

Luckily for John, the song ended quickly after, and John peeled off of Martha and helped her up before triumphantly gathering his clothes to a round of applause and rowdy cheering from the crowd. As John searched for his clothes to put back on, the groups of men and women started singing and chanting their specific chants back and forth, and John admired how good natured and receptive each group acted to such vulgar insults. He hadn’t realized he wanted to be a part of a tradition that stretched decades until that moment, but seeing his friends expressions match his and that of the women’s pledges solidified that thought in his mind. He was hooked. Laf had made their way over to him through the crowd to hand him his pants. John knew he had done a good job dancing by the fact that Laf looked at him with the same smile as when they had been fighting earlier that day. “Oh mon coeur,” Laf started, accent heavy, “I didn’t realize you could dance like that. I will ‘ave much more competition now.” They pressed into one of the marks on John’s torso causing him to gasp before whispering, “It is a good thing I ‘ave already laid claim to you.” 

Before John could respond, George appeared with his shirt in hand. He clapped him on the shoulder and rumbled with a smile, “You ever touch my girl like that again without involving me too, you’re dead Laurens, regardless of how much Laf likes you.” 

With that he walked away, but his spot was immediately filled with his roommates who all seemed to forget that John could only answer one question at a time. “Are you secretly a stripper? Where did you learn to do that with your hips?”

“Did you get in a fight with a vacuum cleaner? You are covered in bruises!” 

“Oh, please tell me Laf didn’t have sex with you in my clothes!” 

“How are you so calm about dancing like that? I panicked so hard, and then you showed up like some sort of sex god Adonis! What if Eliza likes you more now?” 

“Alright y’all, one thing at a time!” John drawled while laughing. “I am not a stripper, but I have been a dancer for as long as I can remember. I did not fight any vacuum cleaners, and they were not _in_ your clothes when we had sex. Alex, I am very gay much to every female in this rooms disappointment, and I’m sure that Eliza found your embarrassment and all around flustered attitude endearing. Can we go now?” 

Having sufficiently cut off the conversation, the boys followed the mob of fraternity men back to their own house where they would be getting their schedules, and then hopefully calling it a night. The brothers mostly went their separate ways as opposed to attending the very first pledge meeting, but a few stuck around some looking friendly, one in particular looking at the pledges in a funny brooding way. 

Laf opened the meeting with their introduction and pronouns. They encouraged the group to put their number into their phones and send them a text so that they could contact them in case of emergency and to let the pledges know when meetings would be. Then they announced important dates for the semester: house bonding, pledge class bonding, big-little, greek week, formal, and something called “The Test”. Then Laf handed out books that had the crest on them. They were to have them on them at all times and be studying for pop quizzes. Apparently being in the pledge class had a competitive edge to it and doing poorly at pop quizzes meant that you were losing. John wasn’t super excited about having what was basically another class on top of his current ones, but his competitive side kept him from complaining. After that, Laf had attempted to dismiss the pledges to go home and get some rest, but brooding, sketchy guy finally stood up and cleared his throat. “Actually, _Gilbert_ , some of them are not done. If your shirt says, ‘Legacy,’ you’re going to need to follow me to fill out some paperwork.” 

Laf rolled their eyes and mumbled something that to John sounded like ‘salad’ but probably was not nice in French. James gave John a look before they got up and followed the rude guy out of the room. 

\----------

James didn’t like anything about the situation he currently found himself in. Following a stranger into the basement of a fraternity house was definitely enough to kill the slight buzz he had still had from the night of fun and drinking. Plus, he the guy’s attitude rubbed him the wrong way, and as soon as it had been obvious that Laf was not aware of what this guy wanted, James had been on edge. The dean’s words from earlier rang out in his mind on repeat. To put a proverbial cherry on the situation, James and John were the only legacies in the 12-person pledge class so it felt like just the two of them against an unknown threat. One look at John revealed that he was thinking similar thoughts. _‘And yet we are still following him,’_ James thought to himself. 

When they got down to the basement, they were instructed to sit on couches opposite an ornate chair that looked like a throne. The guy sat there and let the silence hang in the air before starting, managing to sound both menacing and bored. “My name is Samuel Seabury and I’m next in line for president of this house by falling into the royal lineage. I am also a legacy, which means that I get to introduce you to the Sons of Liberty legacy program. When you are a legacy, you will get certain perks during your process. First in line of your pledge class at outings, higher numbers after The Test, knowledge of the secrets before the rest of your class just to name a few. But that also means that your stakes are higher. We expect more. And if you don’t perform, you’re out.” He paused to meet their eyes individually. “I’ve notified your legacy connections that you are in line to receive a high honor. I imagine that they would be very _disappointed_ if you managed to fuck that up.”

James was appalled at Seabury’s words. At first he was affronted, angry but as soon as he mentioned a ‘legacy connection’ he just felt anxious. He knew that was his father. And as much as he hated to admit it, he would do anything to keep his father from being disappointed. One look at John showed James that he was feeling the same way. Seabury, who had quieted for a moment to watch their reactions, continued. “Now, sometimes pledges get _testy_ and try to push their limits. In this situation that will not be tolerated. I need you to know exactly how much power I have over you currently.” At this point he smiled, but James would never in 100 years place it as a friendly smile, “You see, I have done some research about the two of you. James, you’re noble in the fact that anything I could say or do to you wouldn’t phase you. Hell, I could probably get you kicked out, and you would just shake it off and move on. Which is why if you step out of line, I won’t do anything to you.” James sat there confused until Seabury sneered at him and continued. “No, if you say anything about what I’ve told you to do, miss one of my assignments, or say a word about this to anyone, Thomas will get your punishment. You do something bad enough? I make his life hell and then kick him out. Don’t doubt that I have that power.” James couldn’t help letting his jaw drop before starting to sputter in building anger. 

Apparently, John was thinking the same thing as he was on his feet and in Seabury’s face. “Are you out of your **goddamn mind**?” he snarled. Seabury rolled his eyes. 

“Laurens, I would sit down and shut the hell up if I were you. Your stakes are surprisingly higher than James’.” John looked like he was about to punch him, but curiosity took over, and James watched him sit down again. This prompted Seabury to continue. “Oh Jackie, your father told me so much about you. I wonder how long you could afford college if he knew that you were banging someone who can’t even admit he’s a man? Do you think he would yell or just cut you off and never let you come home? You don’t have to find out. The price of my silence and your sanity is as easy as your obedience and silence.” 

James watched John’s anger flare and then almost immediately extinguish. He looked…smaller. Almost like a kicked child. Exactly like a kicked child. James wanted to protect him, but he knew that John would look at that like it was another handout and it might make him angry again. Seabury was basking in their forced submission like it was water and he had been lost in the desert. After what felt like an eternity, he broke the silence. “Oh don’t look so grim boys. After you’re initiated, I won’t have any power over you. I will drop everything, and you two will be free to enjoy your higher numbers and all the perks of being a legacy. Until then, in private you will only address me as ‘your excellency,’ and when I say jump the only question you ask should be ‘how high?’ Do I make myself clear?” 

John and James made eye contact before nodding. Seabury cleared his throat and waved his hand in the air to signal them to try again. In unison, they responded, “Yes?” 

“I didn’t realize I was given pledges who were both insubordinate and idiots. With more gusto and the title boys.” 

“Yes, your excellency.” Both looked like they had sucked on a lemon immediately after the words had left their mouth. Seabury laughed darkly. “Good boys, now you’re dismissed. Remember, if you tell anyone what happened and will continue to happen down here, I will ruin your lives with pleasure.” 

James and John practically sprinted from the basement and then from the fraternity house itself. James watched as John approached the nearest tree and took a swing at it at what looked like full strength. He heard a sickening crunch that he knew wasn’t the tree. Internally, he felt the same way. How could joining a fraternity be both the best and worst decisions he had ever made? John came back over to him. “What do we do?” he asked in a voice that was quiet but resilient. 

James shook his head and sighed. “We listen. We do as he says. We talk to each other about how much of an ass he is and how shitty the things he asks us to do are going to inevitably be. Then, once we are initiated, we out him for blatant hazing. That way we don’t get kicked out, our fathers never need to know anything other than that we are honored to follow their legacy, and Seabury gets what’s coming to him.” 

John looked at James like he was spitting venom at the word ‘legacy’ but otherwise remained unreadable. It wasn’t until a few beats of silence had passed that he met James’ gaze again. Behind the fury, all that was in John’s eyes was empathy. “Dude, how are you going to keep this from Thomas?” 

James hadn’t thought of that. Thomas was just as in tune to James as James was to Thomas. He was going to know something was up from the moment he got in bed. And James was going to have to lie. Something he promised Thomas he would never do. His heart dropped in his chest. _‘It’s to protect him,’_ James thought internally before managing a weak shrug outwardly. John nodded and put a steadying hand on his arm. “We do it together. We will get through this. Then we will give _his excellency_ the ass kicking he deserves.” John was going for reassuring, but nothing was going to pull James out of his slump that night. It did at least cause him to snort. Together, lost in their own thoughts, they made their way back to their dorm room. 

**Author's Note:**

> You get love for it? You get hate for it? Our poor boys. 
> 
> Comments? Questions? A couple of suggestions? Let me know either in the comments or on my tumblr: smilingsarah10
> 
> Also, thank you all so much for the comments and kudos so far. I literally shined from reading them and bothered all my friends to be like "LOOK PEOPLE ACTUALLY LIKE THE THING" so you're all famous now.


End file.
